Being Loved
It is now 2023 and this coming November 8th, I look forward to celebrating 37 years of marriage to the most incredible woman on the planet. I love her, and she loves me, although I am not sure why she loves me or chose to love me in the first place, but she does.
Now the way I know she loves me is proven each day in manifold ways. It started with a promise to love me before we married, and then she stated it in a vow when we married.
But her demonstration of loving me goes much further than words, just as my demonstration transcends words.
We have made many promises to one another over these many years of being together.
Just like in my marriage, we must experience the fulfillment of a promise because it makes love much more real.
There is so much more to being in a relationship with God than having a singular promise of heaven one day.
Great and precious promises throughout Scripture are now ours through Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
Do you know the promises you are permitted to stand in faith upon?
The promises are what draws on the character and power of God. God uses the promises in our lives to avail Himself in tangible ways to us so we can be encouraged in our belonging to Him and know His goodness.
Paul wrote to the Philippians, acknowledging their generosity towards him while he was in prison for the gospel. In that communication, he declares,
Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
This is a promise of God that Paul stood on for himself and is now declaring over the Philippians, and it is our promise as well.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Jesus said this knowing He would soon ascend to heaven but send the Holy Spirit to baptize them and be with them all their days here on earth until He would accompany them to their appearance before the throne in heaven.
To have the Holy Spirit in tangible ways is the same as having Jesus because God is one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are God, and to have one with you is to have all with you because they are in perfect unity. Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit for a purpose. It was to fulfill His promise to baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire.
I meet believers in Jesus who struggle greatly because they have not yet tapped into the promise of being baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. When the power of the Spirit comes in and over you and His fire purges your soul in ways you could never achieve on your own, you are transformed, and you experience what it means to partake of His divine nature in a whole new way. This fulfillment of a promise is an act of being loved by Him. His love is there and looks to land on an open, receptive heart. I encourage you to be open to being loved by Him today.
